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Design questions 2-node cluster, active/pasive

Hello Guys!
I am a newbie to clustering. I have a couple of questions.
The scenario is: 2 radius servers that receive auth and acc from internet, and the ms sql database where these 2 radius write and read information to.
I am planning to build a sql cluster with active/pasive config for the only one database. I just bought 2 dell 2650 servers and a scsi storage. The OS will be Windows 2000 Advanced Server on all of the machines. I read the documentation about installing windows 2000 clustering services and it says it´s recommended to configure the nodes in the cluster as members of a domain, not (if possible) domain controllers.
Do I have to configure Primary Domain Controller (PDC) and Backup Domain Controller (BDC) or Active Directory? What is your recomendation ? to install the PDC or Active directory in the nodes of the cluster or in the radius servers? If Active Directory is the choice is it posible to install 2 Active Directory servers for redundancy ? thanks a lot,
Pablo.
I would of course go with Active Directory if I could. Can’t you afford a machine or two just for Active Directory? They could even be cheap machines. Yes, you can install 2 Active Directory servers for redundancy. You DO NOT want to have the SQL Servers as the AD hosts if you can avoid it. MeanOldDBA
[email protected] When life gives you a lemon, fire the DBA.
Ideally, the nodes need to belong to a domain (the same one), and the nodes themselves should not be domain controllers. The domain controllers can be Active Directory or PDC (NT 4.0), it doesn’t really matter. If you use Active Directory, all you need is two domain controllers on your domain, but don’put them on the cluster nodes. Active Directory domain controllers automatically are redundant, clustering is not needed. —————————–
Brad M. McGehee, MVP
Webmaster
SQL-Server-Performance.Com
In addition, if you put these cluster nodes in a windows 2000 domain, it will also help you to setup SQL service accounts authentication or you may want to use Mixed mode. Basically, putting in domain will provide you more options if you want to use them. Regards
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